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Essays On Books is a fascinating discussion of literature by an academic who was one of the foremost literary minds of his time. The author of these essays, William Lyon Phelps, was the first to teach about contemporary literature in the United States, in the 1890's. At the time this was a controversial topic! He doesn't shy away from further controversies in these literary essays either.
Phelps' first essay disparages realism in literature, comparing it unfavourably with the doses of reality in even the most poetic of works by authors he esteems. The third essay is a brief biography of Jane Austen. Having finished disparaging realism Phelps lionises Austen, who is obviously a personal favourite of his, a preference he shares with many. If you are a fan of Pride And Prejudice, or indeed any of Jane Austen's books this essay is a perfect introduction to the woman behind the pen. Similarly his essay on Charles Dickens shows a deeply thought and felt love for the author. Rather than a biography of Dickens however this essay is more a biography of Dickens' works, examining the character (and characters) of each and how they fit in with what Phelps describes as Dickens' big and sympathetic heart.
The full list of essays in this book are:
Realism and Reality in Fiction
Richardson
Jane Austen
Dickens
Carlyle's Love-Letters
Whittier
Notes on Mark Twain
Marlowe
The Poet Herrick
Schopenhauer and Omar
Lessing as a Creative Critic
Schiller's Personality and Influence
Conversations with Paul Heyse
Of these it is also fantastic to note that the Phelps corresponded with Mark Twain, and of course the conversations with the Nobel Prize winning Paul Heyse refer to actual conversations between the two. Phelps' access to these legendary individuals is part of the charm behind these beautiful and informative essays, in addition to the skill of the essayist. Whether you have an interest in literature as a whole or one of these authors in particular this book is bound to delight and inform you.
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